Fire Hydrants. Residents and
businesses should make sure the fire hydrants are shoveled out and
accessible during the winter. Fire response could be slowed if
firefighters have to dig out a hydrant during a house fire. It is the
responsibility of residents to make sure hydrants are not buried in
snow.

Visible House Numbers. Remove snow covering curb-painted house numbers, and see that house numbers are easily visible on your home.

Smoke Detectors.

Install Smoke Detectors.
Install smoke detectors in the hallway next to the bedroom doors, and on
every level in your home. Test each detector monthly, and replace the
batteries twice a year. Completely replace the smoke detector every 10
years.

Fire Extinguishers. Have at
least 2 fire extinguishers in the home, including one in the kitchen.
Check them monthly to ensure they are properly charged.

Fire Departments can offer demonstrations of how to use a fire extinguisher and the different types of extinguishers.

Teach children about fire safety.
Children set more than 100,000 fires per year, one every 5 minutes.
More than 4,000 Americans, including 600 children, die each year as a
result of fire. For more information, view the U.S. Fire
Administration’s Web site at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/

Burning Wood.

If you have a wood-burning fireplace, be extremely careful when disposing of warm ashes.

Have your fireplace and furnace checked and cleaned regularly.

Never leave a fire unattended—even a cigarette.

Keep matches, lighters and lighter fluids out of the reach of children.

Clean your dryer’s lint filter after every load, and make sure the exhaust hose is not kinked.

Practice escape plans with children
in the event of a fire.

Talk frequently about the family’s fire escape
plan, and make sure children know of 2 exit paths, especially from
their bedrooms. Teach children how to open the window and remove or
kick out the screen. (If there is a significant drop, purchase a chain
ladder to install at the window ledge.) Teach family members that smoke
will likely make it impossible for them to see. Teach them to stay low
to the floor and cover their mouth with a piece of clothing while
escaping. In addition, do the following:

Keep a flashlight in each room.

Plan 2 ways of escape from every room.
Feel all doors before opening them. If the door is hot, leave it
closed and find another way out. Close the doors behind you as you
leave a room.

Teach your family to “Stop, Drop and Roll” in the event clothing catches fire, and practice this with children.

Show children a picture of a fire fighter in full gear and oxygen mask, and teach children not to be afraid of and hide from firefighters.

Determine a safe place to meet outside to account for everyone.

Outdoor Fires

Protect your home from wildfires (such as the one we had with Firestorm 1991).

Bans against open burning and recreational fires are ordered often
within Spokane County, especially during the summer and fall months.
Backyard barbeques and other patio-type burners like chimeneas and
patio/deck warmers are allowed provided the fuel is briquettes, propane
or seasoned firewood. Failure to comply with a burn ban when ordered to
do so may result in a fine up to $1,000.

Schedule a fire risk assessment of your property
by contacting Garth Davis at the Spokane County Conservation District
at (509) 535-7274, or email at forester@sccd.org. That assessment will
tell you what you are doing right, and what you need to do to improve
the chances of your property surviving a fire.

Assess the safety and risks of your property by considering these questions:

What kinds of fire-resistant materials are used in your house and outbuildings?

Are the gutters clean?

Have you created a fire safety zone by removing combustible plants and vegetation next to your home?

Are wood piles and other flammable materials stored well away from your buildings?

Are trash and clutter picked up?

Are pine needles, cones and leaves raked up and removed from near the house?

Have you replaced bark mulches with rock or hardscape?

Are your trees “limbed up” at least 12 feet off the
ground to reduce the potential of ground fire moving into the tree’s
crown?

Are deciduous shrubs cleaned up to remove dead and twiggy wood that could catch fire easily?

Join a volunteer fire department. There are far more volunteer firefighters in America than there are paid professionals.